Our private network only allows for data between droplets in the same region. Data passing between droplets in different data centers must use the public network and it is handled just as any other public traffic (counting towards your plan’s bandwidth limits).

I apologize for the confusion. We often use the terms data-center and region interchangeably internally here. The three NYC data-centers are physically separate facilities (as it the case with each city where we have more than one dc) so bandwidth between them must go over the public network.